His Highness the Aga Khan with Chancellor Deborah Yedlin after receiving his honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, from the University of Calgary. Al Charest / Postmedia

The University of Calgary awarded the Aga Khan an honorary doctor of laws degree on Wednesday, bestowing the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community the university’s highest academic honour.

The Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, was praised for his contributions toward international development, commitment to inclusion and diversity by university president Elizabeth Cannon.

Cannon said the Aga Khan “stands as a living legend.”

“This is a really special day. You can feel the excitement, you can really appreciate the work that he has done and how much it intersects with what’s important here at the University of Calgary,” Cannon said. “He is somebody who’s really reached beyond his own faith, bringing other faiths together and really bettering humanity in so many ways.”

The Aga Khan was in Edmonton on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of a $25-million garden he gifted to the University of Alberta. Named the Aga Khan Garden, it sprawls more than 4.8 hectares — about the size of 31 NHL rinks.

“We drew on his proximity to Calgary and we’re lucky that he was able to be here,” Cannon said. “We’re just delighted that everything lined up beautifully.”

His Highness the Aga Khan, shares a moment with president and vice-chancellor Elizabeth Cannon after receiving his honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, from the University of Calgary. Al Charest/Postmedia Al Charest/Postmedia

Earlier in the day, the university signed a memorandum of understanding with Aga Khan University, which has campuses in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the U.K., to further collaborate through the disciplines of education, nursing, medicine and arts.

Cannon said U of C has partnered with the Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan Development Network, which employs 80,000 people through a global network of development agencies active in about 30 developing countries, for decades.

The Aga Khan Development Network invests close to $1 billion each year for non-profit social and cultural development activities around the world to address the needs of vulnerable populations.

University chancellor Deborah Yedlin called the Aga Khan “a supporter and advocate for social and human rights around the globe.”

“His leadership truly serves as an example of how we can all work together to support social and human development both at home and around the world,” she said.

A “living legend”: Mawlana Hazar Imam recognised by the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary conferred Mawlana Hazar Imam with its highest academic honour: a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, reserved for the most distinguished individuals who have made extraordinary achievements in community, national, or international services.

Speaking about the prestige of the award and the University’s honour in bestowing Mawlana Hazar Imam with its tribute in the presence of various leaders and dignitaries in attendance, University President Elizabeth Cannon described the conferral as recognising “the friendship, partnership, and the spiritual example” of Hazar Imam who “stands as a living legend, a model for every conscience.”

She continued, referring to Hazar Imam as being “the beloved leader of 15 million Ismailis, a global community representing the abundant traditions and values of a people who have enriched culture and pluralism in more than 25 nations.”

Commenting on how he embodies the values and ethics of the faith, President Cannon described Hazar Imam as “a living manifestation of how we must work together to support human advancement, at home and around the world.”

The President also generously embraced the Ismaili community in her remarks referring to the Jamat as a reflection of the ideals promoted by Hazar Imam.

“Here in Canada, Ismaili Muslims contribute enormously to the fabric of diversity that we cherish so much. Their superb intellectual and educational background and their integrative cosmopolitanism, are outstanding. Their ethos of working to relieve hardship, pain, and ignorance shapes their social conscience, but extends to all around them,” President Cannon said. She went on to say that Mawlana Hazar Imam “leads this resilient and altruistic community, who believe that faith is demonstrated by contributing to the general welfare and doing good for all. The Ismaili presence in our radiantly diverse and youthful city has greatly benefitted Calgarians.”

As she extolled the virtues and contributions of Hazar Imam, President Cannon also spoke about the close relationship that exists between the Ismaili Imamat and Canada as reflected by the “unique initiatives” undertaken by the Imamat in Canada. Examples include the Aga Khan Museum and the Global Centre for Pluralism as well as the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta which Hazar Imam inaugurated earlier this week. Other initiatives include two Ismaili Centres in Canada, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, and the Aga Khan Park in Toronto, soon to be joined by another park in Burnaby, British Columbia.

President Cannon also spoke about the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), referring to it as Hazar Imam’s “tangible way of bringing together faith and action, diligently seeking solutions to hunger, poverty, illiteracy and ill-health.”

“His Highness has been instrumental in forging universal ideals and aspirations, promoting pluralism, compassion, cultural amplitude, and human dignity,” President Cannon said. “His measure is that of a significant figure in international development, one who has literally reshaped its landscape.”

As she concluded the ceremony, President Cannon considered the spirit and essence of Hazar Imam’s work, and ultimately declared that “Heart is the kernel of what His Highness embodies: heart, a passion to inspire, not only through words, but with actions.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam will conclude his visit to Canada with a joint honorary degree conferral ceremony being held by the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University — the first of its kind — in honour of his contributions to humanity on 19 October 2018.

The UBC and SFU degree conferral ceremony will be webcast at the.ismaili/live and is expected to commence at 3:30 PM PDT on 19 October 2018.

University of Calgary bestows highest academic honour on His Highness the Aga Khan

“He stands as a living legend, a model for every conscience,” says President Cannon.

Calgary, Canada, 17 October 2018 – The University of Calgary, one of Canada’s most esteemed universities, today conferred His Highness the Aga Khan with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to humanity.

The conferral of an honorary Doctor of Laws is the highest academic award given by the University and reserved for the most select individuals who have made extraordinary achievements in community, national, and international services. University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Elizabeth Cannon paid tribute to His Highness’ achievements at a special conferral ceremony that included University supporters and various notable leaders from across the country.

Ismaili students gather to witness His Highness the Aga Khan on campus

Students reflect on the community impact of His Highness’s honorary degree from UCalgary

By Jodi Egan, University Relations
October 19, 2018

While His Highness the Aga Khan received his honorary degree from the University of Calgary on Wednesday, more than 150 Ismaili students gathered to watch the livestream of the event — some pretending they were there with him in the auditorium, while others expressed a spiritual connection so strong it was like the Aga Khan was in the room with them.

“It feels like a spiritual linking,” says Karishma Akbari, a psychology student at UCalgary and member of the Calgary Ismaili Students' Association.

“I am getting emotional with the anticipation, the buildup and with how the whole city is dropping everything to watch this and cherish this moment as best they can.”

Bringing communities together

The livestream viewing, which took place in the Blue Room in the Dining Centre, was put together by the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board with the specific purpose of bringing students together in addition to honouring and celebrating the Aga Khan.

“This is a great time to build community while reflecting on the significance of this event for the Ismaili community on campus, in Calgary and around the country,” says chair of the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board (Prairies), Rahim Moledina.

To students like Alim Shiraz Nimji, having the Aga Khan receive his honorary degree from UCalgary is bringing other cultures together as well as Ismaili’s.

“With the Aga Khan coming here, it brings Ismailis together with all the other cultures,” Nimji says. “I see people on campus learning more about His Highness and about us as well. He is of course our leader, but what he does for the community and the world makes him a global leader everyone can learn from.”

That sentiment was mirrored by Naila Feroz Jamani, an undergraduate and now master's student at UCalgary. Because of the humanitarian work done by the Aga Khan, his foundations and institutions, Jamani says the “crazy world” we live in needs more compassion, humanitarianism and pluralism.

“The work he does isn’t just for the Ismaili community — it’s a global initiative that goes so much further beyond those borders,” Jamani says. “It empowers us to know that despite the differences between us, we can all come together for what we’re all working for — compassion.”

But what hit Jamani the hardest when watching the livestream, she says, was the realization that she and His Highness the Aga Khan now have a degree from the same institution.

“It’s like we have this extra connection now,” she says.

The livestream took place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a question-and-answer period, a prayer and a social event for the students.

His Highness the Aga Khan receives UCalgary honorary degree at special ceremony

‘His Highness is a living manifestation of how we must work together to support human advancement, at home and around the world’

By University Relations Staff
October 19, 2018

His Highness the Aga Khan, second from left, arrives at the University of Calgary's Rozsa Centre Wednesday where he was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws. With him are University of Calgary Chancellor Deborah Yedlin, centre, and President Elizabeth Cannon. Photos by Riley Brandt, University of Calgary

University of Calgary Provost Dru Marshall, left, and Chancellor Deborah Yedlin lead a hooding ceremony conferring an honorary degree on His Highness the Aga Khan.

University of Calgary Provost Dru Marshall, left, and Chancellor Deborah Yedlin lead a hooding ceremony conferring an honorary degree on His Highness the Aga Khan.

His Highness the Aga Khan now has a new connection to the University of Calgary.

In presenting the citation for the degree, which is bestowed upon individuals whose notable achievements and community service merit recognition, Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, president and vice-chancellor, said: “His Highness’s concern for the arts, science, and economic development illuminates Ismaili tradition. He leads this resilient and altruistic community who believe that faith is demonstrated by contributing to the general welfare and doing good for all. The Ismaili presence in our radiantly diverse and youthful city has greatly benefited Calgarians.”

The citation highlighted the work undertaken by the Aga Khan Development Network, founded by His Highness, which includes the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia. “Those organizations are both foundational nuclei for health, education, development, protection of the environment, and cultural and economic revitalization,” said Cannon.

“His Highness is a living manifestation of how we must work together to support human advancement, at home and around the world.”

Cannon’s remarks emphasized how the University of Calgary has benefited from His Highness’s visionary efforts, through partnerships with the faculties of graduate studies, nursing, arts, and the Werklund School of Education as well as through historical relationships and research partnerships here in Calgary and at Aga Khan University campuses in Pakistan, Kenya and Uganda.

Thousands of people from around the world watched the ceremony through a live-stream broadcast, as Cannon spoke about the enormous contribution the 15-million strong Ismaili Muslim community around the world — including those in Canada and Calgary — has made to the “fabric of diversity we cherish so much.

“In the great chain of thinkers, those who encapsulate the poetry and vision of human reason, His Highness has fostered social justice as a dream that all yearn to achieve. He stands as a living legend, a model for every conscience,” Cannon added.

“He commissions everyone to reflect on those who have contributed to our lives, and to remember the importance of contributing to the lives of others,” she concluded. “We are today, grateful to be in his presence, and honoured that he has accepted our tribute.”

President Elizabeth Cannon’s remarks emphasized how the University of Calgary has benefited from His Highness’s visionary efforts. Photo by Riley Brandt, University of Calgary

Editor’s note: The following is an edited version of the citation given by University of Calgary President Elizabeth Cannon on Oct. 17, 2018.

The University of Calgary is honoured today to recognize the friendship, partnership, and the spiritual example of His Highness the Aga Khan, the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.

His Highness is the beloved leader of 15 million Ismailis, a global community representing the abundant traditions and values of a people who have enriched culture and pluralism in more than 25 nations.

Here in Canada, Ismaili Muslims contribute enormously to the fabric of diversity that we cherish so much. Their superb intellectual and educational background and their integrative cosmopolitanism, are outstanding. Their ethos of working to relieve hardship, pain, and ignorance shapes their social conscience, but extends to all around them.

His Highness’ concern for the arts, science, and economic development illuminates Ismaili tradition. He leads this resilient and altruistic community who believe that faith is demonstrated by contributing to the general welfare and doing good for all.

The Ismaili presence in our radiantly diverse and youthful city has greatly benefitted all Calgarians.

We tend, in our secular time, to relegate the spiritual to a separate sphere, as if it has no bearing on the daily challenges presented by all that is sublunary. His Highness teaches by example that these elements are not divergent, but related, parallel passions that can fruitfully interact in the worldly world. His contemporary interpretation of the faith of Islam, through changing contexts, has been a superior guide to maintaining a balance between metaphysical well-being and individual quality of life. His respect for ethical connection, responsibility and trust nevertheless embraces evolving beliefs.

His Highness is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon Him. Born in Geneva, His Highness spent his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, attended school in Switzerland and graduated from Harvard University.

These seem like small details, but they sparked His Highness’ many humanitarian and educational initiatives, all of which model an extraordinary ideal of stewardship for this leader’s sophisticated awareness of our intricately changing planet.

Most of all, His Highness apprehends the intricacies of a sometimes turbulent era with engaging grace. In that spirit, the entire world looks to his generous and constructive éminence with respect and admiration.

In these disquieting times, His Highness has undertaken to grapple with challenges. His work seeks to better material conditions for those less fortunate, but also to deploy strategic resources at a time when sudden changes and unexpected developments discourage progress. His concern for health and education goes far beyond mere aspiration. He is a meaningful force in international development, reshaping the horizon of hope and ethically pragmatic progress.

His Highness’s effective vitality as a leader is evidenced in the Aga Khan Development Network, which includes among its many agencies two universities — the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia. Those organizations are both foundational nuclei for health, education, development, protection of the environment, and cultural and economic revitalization. Most important of all, they advance the ideal of a civil society, so fiercely necessary at this time, in this current climate of division and disrespect. His Highness is a living manifestation of how we must work together to support human advancement, at home and around the world.

As founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of international agencies dedicated to uplifting quality of life in the areas of health care, education, social services, architecture, cultural preservation and restoration, economic development, rural development, urban development and civil society, he builds bridges and creates opportunities for increasing prosperity to all locally and internationally.

The Aga Khan Development Network’s agencies include Health Services, Education Services, Academies, and Microfinance, as well as the Aga Khan Foundation, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture co-ordinates multiple cultural activities, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Historic Cities Programme, Aga Khan Music Initiative, Aga Khan Museum, and Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard and MIT.

Here, in Canada, we have benefited from unique initiatives that the Imamat has spawned, including the Aga Khan Museum and the Global Centre for Pluralism, and of course, the Aga Khan Garden which His Highness inaugurated in Edmonton earlier this week.

The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and economic enterprise in the developing world, often in countries with a need for outside investment. The health network supports 325 centres in multiple countries; and educational strategies include 240 schools determined to dismantle obstacles to educational access and achievement.

This network is His Highness' tangible way of bringing together faith and action, actively seeking solutions to hunger, poverty, illiteracy and ill-health. His Highness has been instrumental in forging universal ideals and aspirations, promoting pluralism, compassion, cultural amplitude, and human dignity. His measure is that of a significant figure in international development, one who has literally reshaped its landscape.

Here at the University of Calgary, we too have benefited from a generative relationship with His Highness’ visionary reticulations. Positive connections with our faculties of graduate studies, nursing, arts, and the Werklund School of Education, have focused on the essential work of education, international development, health and wellness, and social and human rights.

This collaboration has informed the evolution of the Arabic Languages and Culture program in our Faculty of Arts, which engages students in learning about Muslim civilizations, languages and cultures. Events like the celebration of Milad-un-Nabi have also provided a unique opportunity for our students to gain deeper cultural understanding and knowledge surrounding Islamic civilizations.

Our collaboration is rich and varied. Building upon historical relationships and research partnerships, we have been able to engage with the Aga Khan University through the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholars and Advanced Scholars Programs to participate in research opportunities at AKU campuses in Pakistan, Kenya and Uganda, and welcomed their international researchers here at the University of Calgary.

Developing future leaders in international development and global citizenship, through this project, the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing has a vibrant partnership in the areas of maternal and child health, neo-natal child health and perinatal mental health service. Students from the Faculty of Arts and the Werklund School of Education have also participated in placements at AKU. And the Cumming School of Medicine will be partnering with the Aga Khan University in coming years on research and practice in cardiac sciences.

There, in that word — cardiac — is the crucial evocation. Heart is the kernel of what His Highness embodies: heart, a passion to inspire, not only through words, but with actions. Our Ismaili students, faculty, and staff share this passion and volunteer selflessly to advance the principles he models.

In the great chain of thinkers, those who encapsulate the poetry and vision of human reason, His Highness has fostered social justice as a dream that all yearn to achieve. He stands as a living legend, a model for all conscience.

We Canadians share that dream with His Highness, who is an honorary Canadian citizen.

And apparently, this city, Calgary, shares with His Highness a love of fast horses. From its earliest days, Calgary was called “horse town,” and equine speed has resonated from the long history of our Indigenous peoples to the present. Here, on the rolling prairie and the incipient foothills, horses symbolize our landscape and our aspiration, and we hope that His Highness will continue to share those dreams of freedom, beauty and action.

Our laudation does only small justice to His Highness’ example and his urgent message that we build bridges, make friendships, and find common ground with all faiths. He commissions everyone to reflect on those who have contributed to our lives, and to remember the importance of contributing to the lives of others.

We are today, grateful to be in His presence, and honoured that He has accepted our tribute.

University of Calgary, the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili community build partnerships and learning
By University Relations Staff
October 19, 2018

In her citation for the conferral of an honorary degree to recognize His Highness the Aga Khan, Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, University of Calgary president and vice&#8209;chancellor, highlighted some of the “rich and varied” collaborations between the university and the Aga Khan Development Network.

Over the last 20 years, UCalgary has collaborated on a number of projects across the world within diverse areas of the Aga Khan Development Network, in particular the Aga Khan University (AKU), Aga Khan Education Services and Aga Khan Foundation Canada.

Connections have been made with the faculties of graduate studies, nursing and arts as well as the Cumming School of Medicine and the Werklund School of Education, among others.

International researchers and students from AKU have come to UCalgary, and UCalgary researchers and students have participated in programs at AKU campuses in Pakistan, Kenya and Uganda.

Here are two examples of these rich and varied partnerships, including where UCalgary also works closely with the Ismaili community and the Aga Khan Council for the Prairies, and which are happening right here in Calgary:

Faculty of Arts Arabic Languages and Muslim Cultures program informed by and connected to local Ismaili community

In fall 2013, in response to requests from students, the Faculty of Arts piloted a program in Arabic Languages and Muslim Cultures, including courses in Arabic language. The program also aimed to engage with the Calgary Muslim community and build bridges on inter-cultural understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims as much as between diverse Muslim societies and cultures.

Prior to the program being piloted, consultations were made with individuals in the local Ismaili community in Calgary as well as Simon Fraser’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies.

Dr. Mushegh Asatryan, PhD, an assistant professor of Arabic and Muslim Cultures in the Faculty of Arts, joined the program in 2015 and then developed several new courses. He now teaches five courses: Muslim Civilizations I & II and Muslim Cultures through Film, as well as Islam and Islam in the Modern World through the Department of Classics and Religion.

“In an increasingly globalized world, the knowledge of languages, and of the history and culture of various parts of the world, is crucial for success in many fields,” says Asatryan.

“Many of our students come from the Muslim community and are eager to learn more about the history of their tradition, which we enable them to do,” Asatryan continues. “Additionally, students who would like to pursue graduate degrees in the humanities and the social sciences, and who would like to work in the Muslim and the Arab world, are able to gain with us the skills and knowledge necessary for that.”

Asatryan, together with Dr. Rachel Friedman, PhD, an undergraduate adviser and instructor who teaches Arabic at the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures, has also organized several popular events.

“Since its inception, our program has organized a number of highly attended events, including presentations by writers, filmmakers, war journalists, and academics,” says Asatryan.

Celebrations like Milad-un-Nabi, the commemoration of the life of Prophet Mohammed, were also organized. “Each was attended not just by our students and faculty, but numerous residents from Calgary. Most of these events addressed issues that directly pertain to the Muslim world today, so they have found great resonance among the attendees,” says Asatryan. “One of our aspirations is to serve as a hub that can co-ordinate academic and cultural activities pertaining to the Arab and Muslim world at the University of Calgary.”

Werklund School of Education program partners with local Ismaili community for tutoring support and mentorship

For seven semesters so far, the goal of the Werklund School of Education’s Service-Learning for Diversity program has been to foster “cultural humility” in pre-service teachers, says Dr. Darren Lund, PhD, a professor at the Werklund School of Education and the co-founder and co-ordinator of the Service-Learning for Diversity program.

So in 2017, when members of the Aga Khan Council for the Prairies approached Lund to work together to build an innovative and positive youth tutoring program that would also include a peer mentorship component for older youth, Lund was “delighted.”

“As one of Service-Learning’s community partners, the Aga Khan Council for the Prairies offers our undergraduate BEd students a chance to learn much more about this segment of the Calgary Muslim community, and make meaningful connections with young people. It’s important to study about different religions and cultures on campus, but the direct weekly experiences in the community really enrich their experiences,” says Lund. “This pilot program has also provided some important tutoring and mentorship opportunities with our students and the Ismaili Muslim community.”

Lund, along with other Werklund staff, sat down with the Aga Khan Council for the Prairies leadership and planned the service learning program together. The council organizing team worked to identify junior high students from the community who could benefit from tutoring support. The Werklund students also had the opportunity to mentor high school students, aspiring teachers and young professionals from the Ismaili community who were looking to change careers.

Katie Mulvihill is a Werklund BEd student who participated in the Service-Learning for Diversity program, which is a voluntary option through the course EDUC 450, Diversity in Learning. With four other UCalgary students, she volunteered twice weekly with the council from January to March 2018.

“I think being there twice a week with the same students and having that routine was helpful. Students were excited to meet with us each week and saw some improvement,” says Mulvihill. “I also remember how welcoming and accommodating the council facilitators were. The communication was fantastic and they were always checking with us to make sure things were going smoothly.”

Lund says he “sincerely hopes this is the beginning of a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship between the Werklund School of Education and the Ismaili community.”

More partnerships to come as new Memorandum of Understanding signed

On Oct. 17, in addition to the conferring of an honorary degree upon His Highness the Aga Khan, Cannon and University of Calgary Provost Dru Marshall also met with Aga Khan University President Dr. Firoz Rasul, and Provost Dr. Carl Amrhein.

The two institutes of higher learning signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding to promote, facilitate and consolidate international co-operation in equitable human advancement, improving the health of populations, and social justice. It’s yet another step that is sure to open the door to many more innovative collaborations to come.

The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University this week awarded an honorary doctorate of law degree to His Highness the Aga Khan in a joint conferral ceremony —a first for both universities.

The honorary degrees, conferred together at a ceremony in Vancouver, are in recognition of the Aga Khan’s lifelong service to humanity, and the intersections of his work at UBC and SFU.

“In his capacity as spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community, his commitment to helping fight poverty and improve health and education for millions of people in underdeveloped and war-torn parts of the world is truly remarkable and serves as an inspiration to us all.

“His Highness has demonstrated an exemplary international commitment to address the needs of others,” said SFU President and Vice-Chancellor Andrew Petter.

“He has in this context supported programs at both of our universities, and we are grateful for his generosity in promoting positive change in the lives of young people and in advancing the well-being of the communities we serve.”

The Aga Khan is the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims around the world.

UBC and SFU students, faculty and staff have benefited from the Aga Khan’s lifelong humanitarian work.

Through a partnership with the Aga Khan Academies’ Teacher Preparation Programme, UBC’s IB Education team of faculty and adjunct faculty are providing mentorship to an evaluation of teacher interns in Mombasa, Kenya, who are seeking International Baccalaureate (IB) certification.

SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations partnered to establish Expressions of Diversity, an internationally renowned summer school on Muslim diversity that provided participants with a critical-historical understanding of Muslims within larger and more diverse frameworks.

Last edited by Admin on Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:31 pm, edited 3 times in total

The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University are each awarding an honorary doctorate of laws degree to His Highness the Aga Khan in a joint conferral ceremony—a first for both universities.

Media who wish to attend the ceremony are asked to apply for accreditation before 12 p.m. PT (noon) on Thursday, Oct. 18. Please contact thandi.fletcher@ubc.ca to apply.

Note to assignment editors: B-roll and photos of the ceremony will be available here immediately following the event. The ceremony will also be live-streamed here: https://www.akdn.org/

Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 19, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The university presidents are available for brief interviews at 2:15 p.m.

Location: Venue will be disclosed upon approval of accreditation.

Details: His Highness the Aga Khan will be conferred honorary degrees from UBC and SFU in recognition of his lifelong service to humanity, and the intersections of his work at both universities.

The Aga Khan is the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community. Inspired by the Islamic ethic of compassion, and the responsibility to help those less fortunate, His Highness founded the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a global network of development agencies active in over 30 developing countries and employing some 80,000 people, and working for the common good of all citizens, regardless of their gender, origin or religion. Today the AKDN invests close to $1 billion a year for non-profit social and cultural development activities around the world to addresses the needs of these vulnerable populations.

The Aga Khan has a longstanding relationship with Canada going back over 40 years, and working closely with Canadian governments and organizations on initiatives that promote inclusive, sustainable development and improve quality of life. For over 60 years, His Highness has been one of the world’s leading advocates of a pluralist, cosmopolitan ethic, one that embraces human diversity as an opportunity and as an antidote to social fragmentation and division.

Aga Khan in Vancouver to receive honorary degrees from UBC and SFU
A joint ceremony was held Friday where the Aga Khan received honorary doctorate of laws degrees from both universities

Jessica Kerr / Vancouver Courier

October 19, 2018 05:23 PM

His Highness the Aga Khan (left) with UBC president and vice-chancellor Santa Ono at a joint ceremony in Vancouver Friday where UBC and SFU each awarded him with an honorary doctorate of law degree. Photo Dan Toulgoet

The Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community, was in Vancouver Friday to receive honorary doctorate of laws degrees from the University of B.C. and Simon Fraser University.

“This is an historic occasion for both universities,” UBC president and vice-chancellor said ahead of Friday’s ceremony. “It’s especially meaningful that we’re doing it together as SFU and UBC, we’re honouring an incredible individual who has given so much to help individuals around the world and to help with education and to make sure that those who are less privileged are taken care of.”

It is the first time the two universities have collaborated on handing out an honorary degree, the highest honour a university can bestow on an individual.

“It is truly a wonderful day to be able to honour His Highness the Aga Khan, who so exemplifies the values of our universities in terms of believing in education as an instrument for social betterment,” said SFU president and vice-chancellor Andrew Petter.

“I think it takes someone of the stature of the Aga Khan to get two universities to actually figure out how to bring their convocations together,” Petter joked. “Now the Aga Khan is well known for his commitment to reconciliation but to reconcile to convocation ceremonies is really quite an accomplishment.”

The honorary degrees were bestowed upon the 49th hereditary imam for Shia Ismaili Muslims Friday afternoon in recognition of his lifelong service to humanity and his work at both universities at a joint ceremony at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Through a partnership with the Aga Khan Academies’ Teacher Preparation Programme, UBC’s international baccalaureate team of faculty and adjunct faculty are mentoring and evaluating teacher interns in Mombasa, Kenya who are seeking certification.

“We are grateful to His Highness the Aga Khan for his support of our partnership, which aims to improve the educational opportunities available to young people in Africa and promote a deeper global perspective among teachers and students in B.C.,” Meredith Fenton, director of IB programs in the faculty of education at UBC, said in a press release.

SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies has a partnership with the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations establishing an internationally renowned summer school on Muslim diversity, Expressions of Diversity, providing participants with a historical understanding of Muslims within larger and more diverse frameworks.

The Aga Khan has a longstanding relationship with Canada going back over 40 years and has worked closely with Canadian governments and organizations that promote inclusive, sustainable development and improve quality of life.

For more than 60 years he has advocated for a pluralist, cosmopolitan ethic that embraces human diversity as an opportunity and as an antidote to social fragmentation and division.

Inspired by the Islamic ethic of compassion and the responsibility to help those less fortunate, the Aga Khan Development Network is a global network of development agencies that are active in more than 30 developing countries and employs some 80,000 people working for the common good of all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion. The network invests close to $1 billion a year for non-profit social and cultural development activities around the world.

Earlier this week he was in Edmonton to mark the opening of a $25-million, 4.8-hectare garden he donated to the University of Alberta. He also this week received an honorary doctorate of laws degree from the University of Calgary.

University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University confer honorary degrees on Mawlana Hazar Imam

In an historic joint ceremony in Vancouver, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) each conferred Mawlana Hazar Imam with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his lifelong service to humanity.

The Honourable Premier John Horgan and Honourable Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin of British Columbia were among the various dignitaries to applaud Mawlana Hazar Imam’s numerous contributions in helping to alleviate poverty, improve health and education, and enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities around the world.

Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin lauded the Ismaili community in Canada. “Led by His Highness,” she remarked, “the Ismaili community in Canada has become an exemplar of success in building inclusive communities. And this has manifest itself in so many ways: In a focus on the elimination of poverty, in an emphasis on education and knowledge, in a deeply held commitment to community service and to volunteerism, and in a belief of the value of pluralism and diversity, and in the conscious development of community partnerships and collaborations such as I have been privileged to enjoy in my previous professional and volunteer work.”

UBC and SFU make history conferring Aga Khan with honorary degrees in joint ceremony (PHOTOS)

In a special ceremony at the Vancouver Convention Centre today, the region’s largest universities came together for an historic moment.

Both the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University bestowed their highest honours on His Highness the Aga Khan, awarding him with honorary doctorate of laws degrees in one joint ceremony.

“It is truly a wonderful day to be able honour His Highness the Aga Khan who so exemplifies the values of our universities in terms of believing in education in the instrument for social betterment,” SFU President Andrew Petter said.

The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University each awarded an honorary doctorate of laws degree to His Highness the Aga Khan in a joint conferral ceremony—a first for both universities.

The honorary degrees, which were conferred together at a ceremony in Vancouver on Oct. 19, were awarded in recognition of the Aga Khan’s lifelong service to humanity, and the intersections of his work at UBC and SFU.

“We applaud His Highness the Aga Khan’s outstanding humanitarian contributions,” said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Santa J. Ono. “In his capacity as spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community, his commitment to helping fight poverty and improve health and education for millions of people in underdeveloped and war-torn parts of the world is truly remarkable, and serves as an inspiration to us all.”

“His Highness has demonstrated an exemplary international commitment to address the needs of others,” said SFU President and Vice-Chancellor Andrew Petter. “He has in this context supported programs at both of our universities, and we are grateful for his generosity in promoting positive change in the lives of young people and in advancing the well-being of the communities we serve.”

The Aga Khan is the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims around the world. In realizing the social conscience of Islam, His Highness founded the Aga Khan Development Network, a global network of development agencies that operates universities, hospitals and school programs in underdeveloped and war-torn nations. He also works with Canadian governments and organizations on projects that promote inclusive, sustainable development and improve quality of life. For over 60 years, His Highness has been one of the world’s leading advocates of a pluralist, cosmopolitan ethic, one that embraces human diversity as an opportunity and as an antidote to social fragmentation and division.

UBC and SFU students, faculty and staff have benefited from the Aga Khan’s lifelong humanitarian work.

Through a partnership with the Aga Khan Academies’ Teacher Preparation Programme, UBC’s IB Education team of faculty and adjunct faculty are providing mentorship to and evaluation of teacher interns in Mombasa, Kenya, who are seeking International Baccalaureate (IB) certification.

“We are grateful to His Highness the Aga Khan for his support of our partnership, which aims to improve the educational opportunities available to young people in Africa and promote a deeper global perspective among teachers and students in B.C.,” said Meredith Fenton, director of IB programs in the faculty of education at UBC. “Our partnership with the Aga Khan Academies reflects the spirit of international mindedness that our educators and learners aim to model, and to which we aspire for the benefit of our teacher candidates and future generations of children in their care.”

SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations partnered to establish Expressions of Diversity, an internationally renowned summer school on Muslim diversity that provided participants with a critical-historical understanding of Muslims within larger and more diverse frameworks.

“Expressions of Diversity opened up many windows into the historical heritage and contemporary relevance of Muslim peoples globally,” says Derryl MacLean, the founder of SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies. “The program was groundbreaking for its breadth and depth and played an important role in providing balanced access to the latest research on Islam and Muslims for SFU students and an international audience.”

Ya Ali Madad everyone! This is Guddoo. I wanted to share some special moments with my family. Yesterday, here, in Vancouver, Hazar Imam was bestowed two honorary degrees from The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University in a joint ceremony. Ozair, as the Jamati Mukhi of UBC khane was fortunate enough to attend the ceremony. During this ceremony, the hosting schools mentioned that Hazar Imam has challenged them to build bridges from their schools to His institutions, namely The University of Central Asia and AKU. Afterwards, Ozair was also invited to a reception in Hazar Imam’s honour. There, Ozair, with just 5 other Ismaili student leaders from both universities, were directed to a private section where they were they only Ismailis that had the special opportunity to meet with Hazar Imam and Prince Aly Muhammad.

Prince Aly Muhammad personally came to them and together they spoke about his work in Northern Pakistan. Ozair described him as intelligent but also relaxed and friendly. As he was leaving, Prince Aly Muhammad said that he will be back in Vancouver soon and said that he hopes to reconnect with the 6 of them again. With this came an unforgettable gift: a picture with Prince Aly Muhammad. Ozair is on the far right.

Later in the reception, Hazar Imam, along with the President of Council for Canada, Malik Talib and the President of AKU, Firoz Rasul, approached the 6 students. Hazar Imam came and stood right next to Ozair with his hands hovering around him. After asking about their studies and plans for the future, Hazar Imam then tells them to consider taking at least a year to study abroad. He said that He is not going to say exactly where but He said “I think you know where” (UCA and AKU 😉). Hazar Imam goes on to say that what drives our institutions is the younger Jamat and emphasizes how students can be a significant part in change for the betterment of the Jamat in countries like Pakistan and India and countries in Africa. He also says that He welcomes suggestions for improvement and that when we come to His institutions that we will be taken care of. He then says “You can quote me on this. You have two witnesses!” And He points to President of Council for Canada and President of AKU. As Hazar Imam leaves, he tells Ozair and the students “I will see you there.”

I’m really proud of my son as he got this opportunity of a life time with Hazar Imam and I wanted to share Hazar Imam’s guidance with all of you. Love you all ❣

Be ‘really exemplary in some field’: How to get an honourary degree from UBC

Written by Tristan Wheeler
Dec. 5, 2018 · 3 min read

In October, UBC and SFU jointly recognized the Aga Khan’s philanthropy with honourary degrees from both schools. File Zubair Hirji

A diverse array of local and international leaders in various fields have received honourary degrees from UBC — but the careful deliberation process behind these awards often remains unseen to the public.

The main criteria is simply being “really exemplary in some field of endeavour,” said Senate tributes committee Chair Dr. Sally Thorne, adding that nominees don’t even have to be affiliated with UBC.

“By bringing them to our university, we are giving a bigger profile to the university and creating some excitement among students,” she said.

SFU, UBC award the Aga Khan honourary degree at joint ceremony

There are exceptions. The committee generally does not consider current faculty members and current political officials, or give awards posthumously.

According to Thorne, nominations for honourary degrees are open to the public all year up to September 30, when the committee's deliberation begins. While these meetings are confidential, successful candidates are usually “those that reflect genuinely spectacular and exceptional achievements … and would be predicted to generate widespread excitement within sectors of the university community.”

Thorne added that all nominations are seriously considered by the committee, as it tries to make the nomination process more accessible to students by not requiring an extensive submission for a nominee that doesn’t have a high public profile.

“Many of the nominations have come from students over the years — many of the successful nominations,” said Thorne.

The committee is also not afraid of controversial nominees, but Thorne was unable to give specific examples.

“We’ve had people over the years whose contributions have been in some aspects of climate change … [We] recogniz[e] that there might well be parts of the university including, donors and alumni, who might be quite upset that somebody who has protested deforestation, for example, might be honoured,” she said.

If a nomination is not successful, it still might see the light of day down the line.

Nominations are kept for a minimum of three years and can be brought up years later for a re-examination, such as in the cases of those whose careers becomes noteworthy years after their initial nomination.

In some cases like the Aga Khan, the issue simply comes down to their inability to attend UBC’s graduation ceremonies in November and May.

“[The] Aga Khan has been brought to our committee several times over the years, and the earliest one that I can identify is 2007,” said Thorne in a previous interview with The Ubyssey. “The issue was never that he was unwilling, but unable to come.”

Regardless of the timing, successful candidates are “thrilled” with their awards.

“I am absolutely thrilled and excited with this incredible honor. This is one of those moments where the gifts from the creator that we receive at birth come to a single point, and our value as human beings and people is acknowledged,” said Grand Chief Phillip in a media release.

At a dinner at Buckingham Palace earlier this evening, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales honoured Mawlana Hazar Imam, as Global Founding Patron of The Prince’s Trust, a charity that works to support vulnerable young people to realise their ambitions. Hazar Imam was accompanied by Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim, and Princess Salwa.

His Royal Highness thanked Mawlana Hazar Imam for his support for the work of The Prince’s Trust at the dinner, where guests had gathered to celebrate the positive impact made by the Trust around the world.

Supporters of the charity’s work such as Amal and George Clooney, and long-term Ambassadors Benedict Cumberbatch and Sir Tom Jones, also joined the dinner at Buckingham Palace.

The announcement comes at a time when The Prince’s Trust is expanding its work and network of expertise globally. As Global Founding Patron, Mawlana Hazar Imam will support the delivery of The Trust’s work in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and through local partners in India, Jordan, Pakistan, Malta, Barbados, and Greece.

Founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, The Prince’s Trust has been helping vulnerable young people across the UK since 1976, and is now helping to tackle the global issue of youth unemployment, and supporting young people and their communities to have more positive futures.

Also among the dinner guests were Ambassadors Chiwetel Ejiofor, Luke Evans, and Tinie Tempah who will be presenting awards to young people who have turned their lives around at The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards tomorrow, Wednesday 13 March.

Dame Martina Milburn DCVO CBE, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust said, “We are immeasurably grateful to His Highness the Aga Khan for his contribution to our work and are delighted to welcome him as Global Founding Patron.

“It has been humbling and inspiring to take time tonight, with our dedicated supporters, to celebrate the success of our international work to date and look to a very exciting future.

“Through His Highness’s incredible generosity, and the continued support of our global network, we can expand our work to transform young lives and build stronger communities across the world.”

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps young people to develop the confidence and skills they need, so that they can live, learn, and earn. Founded by The Prince of Wales in 1976, the charity supports 11- to 30-year-olds who are unemployed, struggling at school, and at risk of exclusion.

The programmes offered by the charity give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education, or training. The Trust has helped over 900,000 young people to date and supports over 100 more each day.

His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in the historic city of Porto, Portugal today, where he was conferred with the Keys of the City of Porto. Watch this wonderful video from the ceremony that took place earlier today.

2019, May 2: Prince Karim Aga Khan visited Porto today and met Mayor Rui Moreira at City Hall at 4pm. He was accompanied by Prince Amyn Aga Khan.They visited Soares dos Reis Museum and gifted the famous "Presentation of the Virgin Mary" painting to the Museum. At Porto City Hall, H.H. The Aga Khan was presented with the Key of the City.

Porto, Portugal 2 May 2019 – The Mayor of Porto Mr Rui Moreira today conferred His Highness the Aga Khan with the Keys to the City of Porto. The presentation occurred in the presence of His Highness’s brother Prince Amyn Aga Khan, the President of the Municipal Assembly of Porto, Mr Miguel Pereira Leite as well as a distinguished audience which included members of the diplomatic corps, government and parliament representatives, cultural leaders and civil society representatives as well as representatives from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Mayor of Porto Mr Rui Moreira expressed his gratitude to His Highness upon conferring the honour, saying, “Your Highness, for generations we have appreciated your contribution, not only to Portugal, but also to Europe, to the world, because you have believed in the construction of a better society.”

In his remarks, His Highness the Aga Khan commented on his role: “In my work I look at peoples from all environments — cities, rural urban areas, deserts, industrialised areas — and I look at how people live, and I ask myself, “How can we improve the living conditions of people in all these environments?”

He went on to laud Portugal for building a strong pluralistic society. “We learn all the time from all our contacts in all the cities we work with, and Portugal has set an example of a pluralist society, which is remarkable, which should be honoured, which should be recognised, which should be copied. So I want to take this occasion to congratulate you for creating a functioning, happy, pluralist society.”

Porto, after Lisbon, is the second largest city in Portugal, and in addition to being an important industrial centre, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage. The city was designated as the cultural capital of Europe in 2001. Its impressive “Casa da Música”, was designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The city’s museums including the Soares do Reis National Museum and the Serralves Museum as well as its opera house, fine-arts school, symphony orchestra, and its other cultural and scientific institutions characterise Porto as one of Europe’s leading cultural capitals.

Earlier in the day, His Highness the Aga Khan and Prince Amyn attended a ceremony at the Soares dos Reis National Museum in Porto marking the donation of a painting by Bento Coelho da Silveira’s (1617-1708) entitled “Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple.” The gift to the Museum, is the third in a series of paintings by Bento Coelho da Silveira, following the donation of both the “Rest in the Return of Egypt” and “Virgin with the Boy and the Vision of the Cross” by the Ismaili Imamat to the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon earlier this year. All paintings were previously housed in the Palacete Henrique de Mendonça.

Conferring both His Highness and Prince Amyn with the Benefactor Member Diploma of the Soares de Reis National Museum in Porto, Friends of the Museum President Álvaro Sequeira Pinto noted, “In his 60 years as a leader of the Ismaili community, His Highness has been living a legacy of peace and tolerance.”

The ceremony was attended by Portugal’s Secretary of State for Culture, Ângela Ferreira, and the Director-General of Cultural Heritage Ms Paula Silva. The event also included a brief performance by selected musicians from the Casa da Música, Porto’s leading musical institution and home to the National Orchestra of Porto.

In his address, Prince Amyn remarked: “When these three pictures were discovered in the Palacete in Lisbon we decided that the quality was such that they really should be shared with the public, the people of Portugal in general, and hence the decision to donate two of these pictures to Lisbon, and to bring this one to Porto.”

In her remarks at the donation ceremony the Secretary of State for Culture, thanked the Ismaili Imamat and the Aga Khan Development Network for “another demonstration of the strong commitment in the cultural collaboration with Portugal’s cultural institutions.”

The Soares dos Reis National Museum, founded in 1833, is Portugal’s first public art museum and is housed in Porto’s Palácio dos Carrancas. The Museum’s exhibitions and history are reflective of a profound commitment to the education of Portugal’s artistic tradition and heritage. The Museum’s own collection for example, represents a wide spectrum of Portuguese art including the work of Porto’s own sculptor António Soares dos Reis, from whom the Museum takes its name.

Last edited by Admin on Mon May 06, 2019 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total

I would like to begin my comments this afternoon by saying how touched I am by the recognition that you have given to me this afternoon.

In my work I look at peoples from all environments — cities, rural urban areas, deserts, industrialised areas — and I look at how people live, and I ask myself, “How can we improve the living conditions of people in all these environments?”

And we learn, all the time, from all our contacts in all the cities we work with, and Portugal has set an example of a pluralist society, which is remarkable, which should be honoured, which should be recognised, which should be copied. So I want to take this occasion to congratulate you for creating a functioning, happy, pluralist society.

The world over — Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America — there isn’t a geography in our world which would not benefit from learning from the Portuguese experience. It’s a historical experience, it’s not a new experience. It’s something which Portugal has defended over the years in different parts of the world, establishing healthy premises for civil society and I want, on behalf of all of us who live in the developing world, to express to you our gratitude and our recognition for the exemplar leadership which you have been giving for decades here in Western Europe, but also in many other parts of the world.

We have inherited, in many parts of the world, from your leadership, and I'm thinking in particular of a country where my community and I have done a lot of work and that is Mozambique. And the foundations that you have laid in Mozambique — the importance of discussion, of talking, of sharing thoughts, of discussing issues — is exemplar. So, I’m happy to recognise that this afternoon, and thank you for setting that wonderful global example.

I also want to thank you for the keys of this magnificent city. This is an old, historic tradition that has existed in many countries in many parts of the world, but I’m going to use these keys to open as many doors as possible. Doors to happiness, doors to peace, doors to unity, doors to human progress. So I thank you, and I treasure those keys very much indeed. And I will not make copies of them.

-------------------

Address by the Mayor of Porto

Porto, Portugal (2 May 2019)

Your Highness, the Prince Aga Khan,
Prince Amyn Aga Khan,
President of the Porto Municipal Assembly,
Councillors, other elected representatives,
Commander Nazim Ahmad, Diplomatic Representative of the Ismaili Imamat in Portugal,
All other members of the delegation of His Highness the Aga Khan,
Members of the Parliament of the Consular Corps, civil, military, and the religious authorities,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Your Highness, your presence today in the Porto city is, for us, a moment of joy, not only for us who are here gathered together, but for the city.

Of course it is a very meaningful, meaningful visit on the special occasion of the gift to the Soares dos Reis Museum of the painting, the presentation of the Virgin Mary, which we just witnessed, and we applaud, and we thank the Prince as well.

But obviously it’s much more than that. It is, for us, a moment of joy because we all respect very much what you have been doing for the world, for peace, for understanding, for tolerance. We believe, in this city, that tolerance is the key factor for the future. It is through tolerance that we will be able to live in a better planet, if at the same time we are able to look after it.

But all this is only possible through mutual understanding, we can’t do it by force. Trying to figure, force is certainly not the solution. The solution is through culture because it is through culture that we understand each other. Culture is undoubtedly the cement that unites people, that makes people — different people with different political views, with different religions, with different understanding — melt together. Culture is the ultimate cement that will bring us a better future, that will give us the possibility to look ahead and to leave something for our children and grandchildren of which we can be proud.

Your Highness, for generations we have appreciated your contribution, not only to Portugal, but also to Europe, to the world, because you have believed in the construction of a better society. That’s ultimately such an important goal that your presence here today is, for us, an extraordinary moment. It is clear that the gesture that you made today to the city is an opening for new channels of dialogue between us and we believe this will also help a lot of people understand that traditions and cultures are something that will develop the world. It is not a coincidence certainly that the painting we have just seen — it is in fact a religious painting — but it should be seen exactly as a sign of tolerance, as a sign of understanding, as a sign of the values that you have honoured so much during your life.

I must also leave a note to Prince Amyn Aga Khan because we know how much you have done for culture, how much you enjoy culture, how much you have cherished culture, and this is for us also a great moment to have you here. I’m announcing today that I will propose to the council of the City of Porto that in July, we will invite you to receive the Medal of Honour of the city for your extraordinary contribution to heritage in Europe, in the world, and because you’re a person of the arts and this is a city which values very much this heritage.

But today of course is a special day, we have here with us His Highness the Aga Khan and we have decided to award you the Keys of the City. This is a city that never surrenders. We are the invictus. So we are not surrendering the city to you, but we are honouring you with the city keys, which means, traditionally, that from today you are one of us, you are a citizen of Porto, so I hope that you will accept this gift of the city.

Portugal’s second largest city, Porto, is known for its history, industry, and culture. At certain points in its history, the city has been occupied by the Celtic people, the Roman empire, and the Umayyad dynasty, which has lent a diverse character to the urban area. At a ceremony on 2 May 2019, Mawlana Hazar Imam was presented with the Keys of the City.

*******
Mawlana Hazar Imam honoured with the Keys of the City of Porto

In the historic coastal city of Porto in Northern Portugal, Mawlana Hazar Imam was presented with the Keys of the City during a ceremony at Porto City Hall on 2 May 2019.

Prince Amyn accompanied Hazar Imam to the ceremony, which was also attended by the Mayor of Porto Mr Rui Moreira, AKDN and Jamati leadership, key political leaders, diplomats, and representatives of the business, civil society, religious, and academic communities.

Portugal’s second largest city, Porto, is known for its history, industry, and culture. At certain points in its history, the city has been occupied by the Celtic people, the Roman empire, and the Umayyad dynasty, which has lent a diverse character to the urban area. Porto’s historical core was proclaimed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

In his remarks during the ceremony, Mr Moreira paid tribute to Mawlana Hazar Imam’s global contributions to society.

“We all respect very much what you have been doing for the world, for peace, for understanding, for tolerance,” Mr Moreira said. “For generations we have appreciated your contribution, not only to Portugal, but also to Europe, to the world, because you believe in the construction of a better society.”

During his acceptance remarks, Mawlana Hazar Imam said, “I also want to thank you for the keys of this magnificent city. This is an old, historic tradition that has existed in many countries in many parts of the world, but I’m going to use these keys to open as many doors as possible. Doors to happiness, doors to peace, doors to unity, doors to human progress. So I thank you, and I treasure these keys very much indeed.”

Earlier in the day, Hazar Imam and Prince Amyn attended a ceremony acknowledging the donation by the Ismaili Imamat of a painting by Bento Coelho da Silveira (1620-1708) entitled “Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple” to the Soares dos Reis National Museum.

The painting joins two others by Bento Coelho da Silveira, which Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prince Amyn donated to the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon in March. The paintings were obtained with the acquisition of the Palacete Henrique de Mendonça — now designated as the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat — and have been donated to ensure that they are shared with the public.

“When these three pictures were discovered in the Palacete in Lisbon, we decided that the quality was such that they really should be shared with the public and the people of Portugal in general and hence the decision to donate two of these paintings to Lisbon and to bring this one to Porto,” Prince Amyn said during his remarks at the ceremony.

Portugal’s Secretary of State for Culture Ângela Ferreira acknowledged the importance of the donation to the two museums as well as the country as a whole.

“With these paintings, the collections of both museums are enhanced,” she said. “With today’s donation, we also reinforce the national strategy for the promotion of the different public and private collections in Portugal.”